No Freak Out
by Nihil Asara
Summary: What would happen if Kuroko didn't freak out when the GoM manipulated the score in their game against his old friend Ogiwara. Some gender bending doth occur.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Kuroko no Basuke. I'm also a dozen years out of practice on basketball, so I'll probably get something wrong, so just assume that Japanese basketball is "special." P.S. Don't imagine I need to point this out, but GoM stands for Generation of Miracles. Also, Ogiwara is Kuroko's childhood friend that quit basketball that they briefly mention.

This story is AU from middleschool, and Kuroko will be ever so slightly ooc. Like, perhaps what he'd be if he wasn't a shounen manga hero.

P.P.S. Murasakibara's name is really, really long, so I may call him Saki-kun on occasion.

Chapter 1

No. It couldn't end like this. I wouldn't let it. I'd lost Ogiwara, but it wasn't too late to save the team. What they'd done was terrible, despicable even. Purposefully letting the other team score eleven points just so we could get ten times their score was simply cruel. Still, they weren't entirely wrong. Something had to change. Aomine didn't even practice anymore, Akashi had apparently developed a split personality, and other three weren't much better. Something had to be done. And considering Kise was talking about more score manipulations in the future, it would have to be me.

"Did you think that was fun?"

"They were weak," said Aomine.

"Akashi," I continued, "do you think a single person out there thought you as captain won that game? Or did they just believe that our players are stronger than everyone else?"

"What's your point?" His hetero-chromatic eyes gleamed menacingly.

"You know as well as I do that we won't improve if we keep playing as we have. We need to change the game." Here came the moment of truth. It was a silly idea, but it was the only one I had. "Have one of us play for the opposing team. A different one each quarter, maybe. It won't be anything official, but in a four versus six game maybe we'll finally have a decent game now that the Uncrowned Generals graduated." He was thinking about it, I could tell. He was good at hiding his emotions, but half my play style revolved around reading cues. He just needed a little push. "Or did you think it will be this easy once we're freshman in high school? Maybe if you win a game where the cards aren't stacked in our favor your father might actually show up to watch for once."

His jaw tightened. "Fine."

Alright, that was probably a little too far, even if he had been a jerk for months. But at long last, the team had a future again.

* * *

It had been a week since our last match but if my benched status was any indication then Akashi hadn't forgotten my comment after the Nationals. Still, I couldn't restrain a small smile.

"Kise, you'll be the first Traitor," said Akashi.

"What? Why me! My fans are in the audience, they'll never forgive me." I face-palmed. On top of the normal Generation of Miracles groupies and relatives, Ryota Kise's new modeling career had granted us a whole new type of fans. They were definitely a little higher pitched than the normal crowd, as well as maniacally irate when he wasn't given the ball often enough.

"He's picking you because you have a trustworthy face," I said. "The Manibara team is more likely to believe you're actually helping them than one of these other demons."

"You think I have a trustworthy face Kurokocchi?"

"Don't be weird, and get out there already." I shoved him towards the court just as the other team lined up for the initial meet and greet. Cameras flashed from the audience as an introductory song began to play over the speakers. I couldn't wait for high school. A larger audience, a live band, and cheerleaders. The atmosphere had to be stunning, and it all started here. The crowd at this away game wasn't particularly large for the debut of my plan. With the Nationals over, all that was left was a regional round robin before high school started. It wasn't normally much of a crowd pleaser. But maybe that was for the best, there was no telling what kind of backlash this plan might produce.

I looked at the Manibara team. The game hadn't even started and already they looked hopeless. It was only to be expected, given that a no-name team was facing the strongest team in the league, but it assured me that this was the only path. I settled myself as the players lined for the toss up, my eyes recording every detail. Kise wasn't having much luck convincing the other team. It appeared even a backwater team like this had its pride. Which, normally, would be a good thing. Well, the first basket would change their minds.

The ref sent the ball soaring and... it was ours. Akashi must have told the rest of the team to hold back, or perhaps Aomine was just impatient to start the real game. Either way, it only took about five seconds for Aomine to spin past their three defenders and toss in a lay up. Akashi was giving them the Stare of Ultimate Condescension now, while Aomine was opting for the "I pity you" approach. The Manibara players looked like kicked puppies, and it wasn't even the second quarter. When had it gotten this bad?

Kise was gesturing like a frantic, basketball-playing mime for them to toss him the ball. I think he was even more surprised than audience when half way through their charge the Manibara captain actually did so. Like the GoM player that he was, however, he recovered in an instant. A quick three step sent him past Murasakibara for a dunk. He'd certainly improved with those, I noted. The five centimeters he'd grown this year definitely helped.

Everyone else wasn't taking the reverse basket as calmly as myself. And eery silence had descended over the crowd, and even Kise's fangirls were holding back from cheering. The audience was still unsure what just happened, and the opposing team probably felt like they made a deal with a devil. Murasakibara was looking at his hands as if they'd betrayed him. "..." Alright, now he was just being a downer. It was to be expected that he'd miss the first charge. Good basketball players played largely on instinct in order to lower their reaction times. After tens of thousands of plays where players in our team colors were running the other direction it was only natural not to react in time when one suddenly turned traitor.

The counterattack was slower than our norm. Since Murasakibara was still catatonic with shame at losing to our newest member, Akashi took it upon himself to start the ball moving with a smooth pass to Aomine. Much like our first basket, Aomine proceeded to make clowns of the other team. One after another was passed, but then his unstoppable advance was very suddenly halted. "Go Kise!" I laughed as Aomine's eyebrows twitched. Amazing that he heard me, I didn't exactly have the strongest voice in the world. But then again, I'd never heard a stadium be this quiet before.

Kise's sudden appearance in front of him had stopped him for just long enough that the Manibara players had recovered. Aomine was a strong player, possibly the strongest in Japanese middle school, but he was being tested now. One, two, even three-man defenses routinely shattered against his skill, but now there was a veritable wall surrounding him. Two Manibara players blocked him from the sides of back, and Kise kept a low stance in front of him, forbidding advance. And that was when Aomine did something I hadn't seen him do in weeks. He passed. And then, like a bird alighting on a branch, Midorima's high-arcing three-pointer _swished_ through the basket. '_Perfect as always. One of these days he really needs to loosen up.' _A small flurry of cheers sounded. Apparently the crowd was starting to get what was going on, and on the plus side hadn't started a riot as of yet.

I was ecstatic. It wasn't much, but for the first time in far too long there was light in Aomine's eyes. Still, even with Kise helping them it was starting to go downhill fast. Murasakibara was on guard now, creating a nearly impenetrable defense. And for offense, now that Aomine was finally willing to pass, the Manibara team was only able to guard two of our offensive players successfully. If they tried to two-man guard (for anything less was worse than useless) against both Akashi and Midorima's devastating three-pointers, Aomine was perfectly capable of charging past those that remained. By the end of the first quarter the score was 23-9 our favor. For us, that was actually a bad score.

They crowded the bench during the quarter break, atmosphere very different from the usual. Normally this was the point where they steeled themselves to the inevitable "victory." Though in reality it was more akin to twenty-four minutes of pounding despair-stricken children into the ground. More of a unpleasant job than a game. But now...

"Kurokocchi, you're a genius!" Kise ruffled my hair until I struck his hand away. "Now that was a game." He was drinking a little more water than was wise. Now that I looked closer, he had to be sweating twice as much as anyone else on the team. Well, no one said playing against the GoM was easy. "So, Cap-i-tain, do we stay the course?"

Akashi's answer came instantly. Knowing him, he had this whole game planned out in detail since moments after I suggested it a week ago. "No, Tetsuya will be subbing in. Murasakibara will be the next Traitor." Murasakibara dug into a bag of chips at the announcement, like always, but something about the way he ate them told me he was enthused.

We filed back onto the court, heads held high. "I'm with you," said Murasakibara. The other team just nodded, unwilling to argue with the giant. I took my place in the lineup, but once the ball started moving I realized how totally unprepared I was. Misdirection, passing, and interception were hard enough in a five on five match, but doing the same in a four on six matchup and against someone of Murasakibara's caliber was a whole other level of difficulty. It was exhilarating.

Murasakibara's one offensive gambit ended in complete failure after Akashi stole the ball out from under him, but he did manage to slow down our point scoring. His teamwork with the Manibara team was a little better than Kise's, though whether that was due to his effort or if they'd simply accustomed themselves to a sixth man I couldn't say. In the end it wasn't enough. As the horn sounded for half time we sat at a comfortable 35-9. It was only a twelve point increase from the previous quarter, but the absence of any any new baskets despite having an extra player was definitely hitting them hard. Saki-kun was a little down too, having switched from chips to candy. After not managing to score I guess he wanted a little comfort food.

Akashi stood as halftime came to a close. "Kise, you're back in for Murasakibara. Midorima will be the next Traitor."

I'd thought I was somewhat accustomed to the pace of a 4v6 game, but it turned out I was dead wrong. The pace of the third quarter was easily twice that of the previous two. Midorima had been holding back on us. His accuracy hadn't changed, 100% as always, but his range was otherworldly. When he took the shot from behind the halfcourt line, everyone in the stadium held their breath. The ball hung in the air for an eternity as it arced high above the court before reaching its target. "Amazing." My voice was lost amidst the jubilant cheers. It was strange, but it seemed like a fair number of them were actually coming around to our side. Yes, we were polluting the purity of basketball, but we were definitely giving them a better show than there would have been otherwise. Midorima's strength was really something else now. Aomine's too, but his was less readily apparent to those off the court itself. Midorima's half court shot was something that even high school seniors would have trouble with. Heck, if he could lower the set-up time, it would even put some college teams on the ropes.

Unfortunately for the Manibara team, Midorima was hopeless at defense. Well, at least against the likes of the other members of the GoM. As a result, even though he could score quite handily, he barely even tried to stop our return shots. The first half of the quarter was carried out with frenetic speed, one basket traded for another. The second half, however, Akashi and I found our rhythm. The game hardly went four seconds without one of us stealing the ball from their hapless players. From then on, Midorima never came within six feet of the ball. He looked ready to chew bricks by the time the buzzer rang for the end of the quarter.

Despite wanting to play against Aomine, I was grateful when Akashi subbed me out for Saki-kun. I felt near ready to faint when I hit the bench. That sort of play was beyond anything I'd done previously, and my stamina was never the best to begin with. I sipped carefully at an energy drink, reminding myself to keep good posture to keep my lungs working at full capacity, despite how much I wanted to hunch over.

Momoi chose that moment to set aside her clipboard and sit down next to me, a little closer than was strictly just friendly. "Dai-chan looks happy."

"Just eager, I think. But he's getting there."

It was obvious after a couple minutes that Aomine was trying too hard. I was pretty sure Momoi noticed it even before I did. Aomine was a far more balanced player than Midorima, but it was working against him now. He was trying so hard to play every position that he was getting stretched thin. If it was the first quarter I was half certain he might have managed it acceptably, but as it was there was no hope. It was his fourth straight quarter against harder than usual opponents, and for all his skill he was still a middle school student. As the game came to a close the holes in the Manibara line grew wider and wider, and their offensive pushes fewer. The final buzzer rang, score set at 74-33. It was a rather lackluster finish to an exciting game, but not precisely a bad one.

It had been a while since we didn't triple our opponents score, at a minimum. And, as I lined up for the end of game ceremony beside Aomine, I could tell something about him had changed. Maybe this would be enough to restore his drive, to actually push himself and practice again. I hoped so.

The Manibara captain caught up to us as we headed for the bus. I really hoped he hadn't come for revenge. That would get messy. Saki-kun didn't know his own strength some times.

"Thanks for the game, it was fun." I wasn't expecting that. "Just... do me a favor. Make sure you win like this again. I'll never live it down otherwise."

Before any of the others could say something undiplomatic I rushed to the front. "Don't worry about it. You can count on us."

He looked down, meeting my eyes. "Who are you? Are you the team manager?"

Oh come on! I wasn't that invisible. He didn't notice be during the full two quarters I'd played in? I heard Kise chuckling behind me and gave him a swift elbow in the gut. With that deed accomplished I climbed on the bus without saying another word.

End Chapter 1.

Well, longer than my normal chapters, but I resisted the urge to arbitrarily cut it in half. Hope you enjoyed. This story, if it continues far enough, will probably go weird places. I can't guarantee there won't be vampires or a North Korean attack on the White House, but I can say that there will probably be basketball.

Pairing is Kuroko/Momoi. Probably. We'll see. Life happens.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Read chapter 1 first.

Chapter 2:

Practice was a little different than normal. The drills were the same, but there was an intensity that hadn't been there previously. Murasakibara in particular appeared to be brooding over his less than spectacular solo act during the last match. With the GoM exerting themselves, the other first stringers looked like a herd of incompetents in comparison. Aomine was still a no-show, but Momoi had reported he was training a little on his own. It was progress.

I was jittery with anticipation by the time the next match came around. It was a good thing my grades were high enough that I could slack off a little here at the end, because even my dreams were about basketball lately. Akashi had forbidden us from talking about the game, but already there were rumors. Only half-believed, but still persisting. Even for a team as strong as ours, people were a little incredulous of a 4v6 match.

Disbelievers or not, the Batiet stadium was fuller than the last when we entered. Despite being an away game, our fans outnumbered theirs in the audience. Not unprecedented for us, but a bit off for a no-status round robin game. I was just glad we were allowed to use the strategy again. I expected the coach to give us hell, but in the end it was Akashi that ran the team, not him. For whatever reason, the school had given us considerable freedom so long as we kept winning.

Akashi followed the same strategy as before, sending Kise out as the emissary. If anything, it went smoother than the last time. The Manibara school was less than twenty minutes from Batiet, and word had since spread that our offer was genuine. For a school like Batiet, it was really their only chance of not attending class the next day with a 0-120 score hanging over their heads.

They played well, for normal middle schoolers. No ball-hogs, fumbles, or overextensions from overly aggressive players. They had good awareness of where there teammates were, and even managed to accommodate the extra player without too much confusion. The addition of a sixth man from the GoM kept their spirits up enough that it wasn't until the fourth quarter that they started to get that listless look that Aomine in particular was so sick of seeing. It was a shame they never had a chance.

Someone unfamiliar with us might have complimented our play during the last game, but in comparison to this game there was no contest. Like a well oiled machine, whichever four of us were together played with a degree of precision and awareness that was unheard of in our age group. The teamwork that had been slowly discarded out of a lack of necessity had come back, at least in part. It wasn't quite the same form of teamwork as the Batiet team. Theirs served to shore up weaknesses, relying on each other for support when they failed. With ours, it was more an acknowledgment of strength. The ball was sent to whoever was in position to deal the most damage. No faith was necessary, just the sure knowledge of their ability to accomplish the goal.

In the end, we finished 84-29. The game was fun, and I could tell that the others agreed, but at the same time it was disappointing. Despite a huge handicap, we'd still crushed them handily. I'd hoped for a bit more of a struggle, a challenge hard enough to keep Aomine interested. I felt a little sorry for the other first stringers. I was sixth on the lineup and played regularly in games, but the rest of them? If there was any better indication that they were utterly unnecessary for us to win than these 4v6 matches, I couldn't think of it. Well, this was enough for now. At least it no longer felt like the team was falling apart at the seems, and Momoi was less distressed over Aomine now that he was practicing a bit again.

* * *

End (2)

More to come.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

The round robin ended seven games later without a tiebreaker. Teikou Junior High was victorious with zero defeats. Several teams we played were far better than the first two, but in the end none of them had even achieved the same score score as the Manibara team. It was definitely time to move on from middle school.

Despite not having a tenth of the prestige of the nationals, the local press hounded us on our way out of the stadium. It didn't help that it was a home game, with Kise's fangirls snapping as many photos as the press. If Murasakibara wasn't there to carve a path for us I wonder if we would have ever gotten out.

"Let's go eat," said Momoi.

"Eh?" Aomine voiced our collective confusion.

"It can be a celebration. Your last match before high school. Come on!" She started skipping ahead of us.

Akashi was the first to follow. "Dinner is on me. Tetsuya, make sure you eat. You're too skinny."

I wasn't _that_ skinny. It wasn't like I was dieting or something, I just didn't bulk up as much as them. Besides, I was still growing. '_Maybe I should start lifting weights in high school.'_ I glared at Saki-kun when he passed me a chocolate bar and patted my head.

Momoi stopped at a Korean barbecue restaurant, waving for us to enter. It was a good thing Akashi was paying, because I didn't have anywhere near enough cash on hand for fresh steak or ribs. I waited until the meal was nearly over to make my suggestion. Hopefully the barbecue sauce had mellowed Midorima by now or he'd pull his independent nonsense again. "I think we should go to the same high school."

Saki-kun was chewing really, really loudly. The staring was a little off-putting as well, considering most of the time people didn't even notice I was in the room. "I-I know you wanted to go to different schools, but I can't imagine you'll find a team stronger than ours can be. And if we go to a school without a basketball team already then we won't have to worry about the school telling us what we can or cannot do, or a coach not using us as they should. And... and I'm not like you guys. I'm not a big scorer who can just switch teams at will. If I'm not with all of you, I don't know if I'd even keep playing basketball.

A moment of silence.

"Sure."

"Why not."

"The fates are favorable."

"I'm with you forever Kurokicchi!"

"I will ensure it occurs."

"I'll come too," said Momoi. "Make sure it's co-ed or I'll have to crossdress and become your roommate. Squee!" She wrapped me in a hug, snuggling her head against my shoulder.

I could already tell this year would be interesting.

End Chapter 3

Not a lot of action, I know, but at least middle school is over with. Now they get to learn of the evils of high school. I may move schools around to get things to work out. I may also do so accidentally because I have no real knowledge of Japanese geography. Or any geography, for that matter (I'm American).


	4. Chapter 4

AU: Let's pretend the break between junior high and high school starting is longer than the 3 weeks it actually is in Japan. How much longer? Don't worry about it.

Chapter 4:

I flipped over for what had to be the hundredth time, tossing my hair around as I searched for a comfortable spot on my new bed. No luck. The new haircut definitely wasn't helping. I'd decided at the last second to get a haircut before the term started but the haircutter had done something funny and now my bangs would stop brushing my forehead. At least basketball would tire me out enough to make sleeping a little easier tomorrow. When I had made the request to the group to go to a school where we could form our own basketball team, make our own legend, I hadn't expected it to be so far from home. But here I was, in a dorm that was about as far as possible from my parent's house as was possible without plane or boat.

A knocking sounded from the door. "Come in."

A matronly woman entered the doorway, peering around for my presence. Grudgingly I waved my hand to help her. Sometimes it was really annoying being practically invisible. "Ah, there you are. I'm Mrs. Katsuwa, the manager of the west dorm. Are you settling in alright Tetsumi?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Wait, what did she my name was? I hadn't really been listening, instead wondering if the Invisible Woman from the Fantastic Four ever felt like me. I was pretty sure she pronounced 'Tetsuya' a little strangely though. Well, it was probably fine.

"Remember, just visit me in room 204 if you have any questions about the campus."

I gave a quick nod before she shut the door, sending the room back into darkness.

* * *

So comfy... The pillow was soft and warm and smooth against my cheek. I snuggled in closer, blowing at the hair that kept tickling my lips. '_… My hair isn't that long. Did Mr. Snuffles climb in with me again?' _I started to push him away, then gently squeezed as I tried to determine in my sleep-deadened state what I was holding. '_Oh, it's a...' _"Kyaa!" First I was screaming and then she was screaming and I decided I wanted to be anywhere but here. The covers went flying as I rolled onto the floor, running for the door.

I barely remembered to grab my shirt off the dresser as I ran into the hallway, tugging it over my head as I went. I didn't stop running until I reached the hall bathroom. '_Is this the Twilight Zone? Why was there a girl in my bed?' _A really busty girl at that, I remembered. I splashed some water on my face to wake up, mind straining to understand the impossible. Then it completely went off the rails.

"I'm so sorry Tetsumi, my parents got stuck in traffic and we didn't get in until late last night. I must have gone to the wrong bed."

'_…_' Pink hair and eyes, prominent bust. It was Momoi. Momoi had been... And now she was in the bathroom with me? What was going on? I pinched myself but reality stubbornly stayed fixed. "Don't worry about it." I was so nervous my voice came out as a squeak.

"Umm, Tetsumi, do you want to grab breakfast with me? We'll be roommates this year so maybe we can get to know each other?"

"I-I have to go." I brushed past her, not looking her in the eye as I left the bathroom. What was going on? Why was Momoi calling me Tetsumi? That woman last night had called me Tetsumi too, now that I thought about it. It was like they thought I was a girl or something. '_A girl.'_ That was it, wasn't it. That was why everyone I passed in the hallway was female, and why the walls had a noticeable preference towards pink. '_They stuck me in a girls' dormitory.' _

I slipped back into the dorm room, not wasting any time in slipping on my shoes. I had to get this fixed as soon as possible. I didn't know why Momoi hadn't recognized me, but that sort of luck couldn't last forever. At the last second I threw on a baseball cap to hide my face a little on the way out. It would be better that as few people know I spent a night in the girl's dorm as possible.

End 4.

Glad 1 reviewer agreed with the cross dressing idea I had. Though I think it would take plate armor for _Momoi_ to pass.

To the guest commenter, all I can say is that if you don't like the premise of a story, don't read it to begin with. Not as if the story's suddenly going to become a different story entirely on your say-so.


	5. Chapter 5

To answer confused reviewers: No, Kuroko did not suddenly become female last chapter, he was the victim of a filing error and a bad haircut.

Chapter 5:

Carefully avoiding eye contact, I walked out of the girls' dormitory as quickly as I could without appearing suspicious. It was a surprisingly big school. If we weren't both listed as late admittance students the chances of Momoi and I rooming together would be incredibly slim. As it was, I was still reeling over how my name and sex had somehow gotten screwed up. Akashi's family had a lot of money and a lot of influence, and I knew he'd pulled strings to get all of us into such a prestigious school at the last second, but had they been in such a rush they didn't double-check my enrollment forms. Well, this was still acceptable. I just had to get this fixed and make sure Momoi never, ever found out we'd slept (cuddled) together.

Supposedly it was possible to get to any building on campus without stepping outside, but I didn't trust my luck navigating it just yet. So, instead, I steeled myself and stepped out onto the campus green. A light coating of frost covered half the lawn, but once I made it into the sunlight the cold was tolerable. That didn't stop me from shivering by the time I reached the front office. '_You're kidding me.' _It couldn't be more than 7:30 and there was already a line ten meters long. Well, it was a big school, and there was only another few hours before the first half day kicked off. I probably wasn't the only one with issues, though most were likely trying to change their classes, not their stated gender.

Thirty minutes passed before I even made it halfway through the line, with more students and parents piling up behind me. A mirror hung from the wall beside me, and after another five minutes of standing in place I gave in to temptation. _'Do I really look like a girl?' _To my eyes I looked the same as always. I wasn't the most masculine fifteen (nearly sixteen) year old boy, but I definitely didn't look like a girl. I mean, I was a little thin and and my chin was pretty much the opposite of strong and my eyes were a little large but... '_I'm really not making a good case for myself, am I.' _Ever so slowly, I removed my hat. _'No way.' _It was worse than I'd thought. What had that stupid hairdresser even been thinking? It wasn't even close to being a boy's haircut.

Hastily I put the hat back on. At least with the hat on I just looked a little androgynous. With it off, all that stopped me from seeing a genuine girl staring back at me in the mirror was the utter lack of a figure. I turned away from the mirror, swaying between being upset and annoyed. _'Damn it!'_ While I had been looking into the mirror the line had moved along without me and left no room to reenter it. "Umm, excuse me." Only one of the people in line looked around, and they somehow failed to notice me. It was times like this I really regretted my lack of presence, even if it did form the core of my basketball game. It probably wasn't even worth trying to get back my spot. The person behind me probably didn't even remember what I looked like. Sullenly I trudged towards the back.

"Tetsuya? Hey, Tetsuya!" Aomine slapped me on the back as he directed me away from the line. "We've been looking all over for you. Akashi's going starkers over you not showing up for practice on time."

Ah, yes, the first practice of the season. Well, it wasn't worth getting on Akashi's bad side this early in the year. I'd just have to get my name and dorm fixed after practice.

End Chapter 5.

Mmm... 5000 words total. Progress.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Despite Aomine's questioning look I didn't take my hat off when we reached the court, though I did turn it backwards. Watching the rest of the GoM practice layups out on the court made me realize just how out of place I was among them. They'd been growing taller and more muscular ever since I'd met them, but the change they'd undergone since the end of middle school still took me by surprise. I wasn't sure if I could get away with calling Murasakibara Saki-kun anymore. He was tall before, but now he was practically a giant. He was still lanky owing to his age, but in a few years when he finished filling out I wouldn't but it past him to wrestle a bear. I wondered if he'd notice I was there if I stood on one of his soldiers.

I smiled as I saw the twizzler in his mouth while he practiced. Yep, he was still the same easygoing Saki-kun I remembered. I moved my gaze to the others of the GoM. They had undergone similar transformations, the effects of puberty revealed in their broadened shoulders and increased height. Even Akashi, who was barely an inch taller than me a year ago, now had me looking at his collarbone instead of his eyes. I'd grown a couple inches myself, but on a men's basketball team 5'3'' was far from impressive.

Despite being happy that the team was back together I couldn't help but be a little sad as well. It had been easy to ignore during my lonely summer, but now that I was back among them it was impossible to ignore how different I was from them. I gave a soft sigh as Saki-kun pulled off a backboard-rattling dunk. Even after I'd developed my own style of play I'd still secretly hoped that one day I'd grow tall and powerful like the others, but that already withered hope was swiftly dying. I'd be lucky to hit 5'5'' at the rate I was growing. My musculature wasn't any better, if I was being honest. I worked out every day one way or another, but at best I could be described as wiry. Forget sinking a shot from behind the midline, I'd have to exert myself just to have the ball reach that far, let alone actually aim the thing.

I threw my shoulders back and chest forward, trying to assume a confident pose. Even if it felt like I was standing in place as they outgrew me, that just meant I had to work harder. I wasn't sure how yet, but I had to figure out new tricks and get better at predicting other players' movements. I slumped as something occurred to me. "Hey Aomine, is Momoi coming to this practice?" I didn't want to risk her connecting me with Tesumi. The hat helped, but I was still wearing the same pale blue t-shirt and shorts I'd slipped out of the room with. Inwardly I winced as I realized that even my clothes today weren't particularly masculine.

"No, she said she won't be around much this season actually. She said she's starting a girl's basketball team."

"Really?" I knew she'd played a bit when she was younger, and she definitely loved the game, but this was still a surprise.

"Yeah, not sure she'll have luck finding players at an arts school like this though." He paused. "Are you finally interested in her, Kuroko?"

"What? No, of course not," I spluttered. I hurried onto the court, eager to avoid any further talk of Momoi. It wasn't ideal to play in street shoes, but it appeared to be a casual practice. Midorima was the only one in uniform, and Saki-kun now had a twinkie in one hand and a basketball in the other as he went to perform another dunk. Not the most effective training strategy. It occurred to me that there was a small problem with my plan of having us all go to a school without an established basketball team – now we had no one to play against during practice.

Then again, wasn't that already the case in middle school?

* * *

The practice went longer than I expected. The laps went alright, but the pushups left my arms wobbly and lungs gasping for air. It wasn't until after I left one of the gym's stall showers that I realized just how long it had really been. I'd lingered on the court longer than the others. I hadn't been sure if the school had public or private showers and hadn't been particularly enthused about taking my hat off in public. The others had all gone ahead now to class, and I was left with barely three minutes to make it there myself. Not enough time to go back to the front office, not even enough to grab some more masculine clothes. High school was turning out to have far, far too much drama.


End file.
